But they meant plenty Tuesday at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational at the Floridian.

Top-ranked Oklahoma State (289-840) – with alumnus Rickie Fowler on hand – lived up to its billing with a five-shot victory over No. 23 Florida State (281-845). The Seminoles were cheered on by reigning U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka.

If a golf course is supposed to identify the best players, the Floridian did just that the last three days. The top three-ranked teams finished inside the top four.

The Cowboys started the final round with a 12-shot lead that soon was half that as players struggled in the hot, windy conditions. But Viktor Hovland of Norway shot a 13-under 201 to earn medalist honors and help carry his team to the title.

“We talked a lot about being tougher and I felt we were this week,” said Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton. “The Floridian showed a lot of teeth today. We didn’t play as good as we did the first two days, but that’s why you build a lead.”

Hovland shot rounds of 67, 65 and 68 to win by four shots over John Pak (66-204) of Florida State. His first collegiate victory earns Hovland, ranked fifth in the country, a spot in next year’s Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour.

“It’s going to be pretty sweet,” Hovland said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play on the PGA Tour. I didn’t feel like I striped every shot, but I really managed myself well out there.”

It doesn’t hurt to have a supporter such as Fowler, who once again skipped the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship to attend this event. Fowler also hosted the Oklahoma State players at his house and attended the last two rounds.

Oh, by the way …. Fowler holds the course record at the Floridian with an 11-under 60 in 2016. So he has some local knowledge to impart.

“It’s really cool that as successful as he is, he spends two days of his life watching us,” Hovland said of Fowler. “It’s great to be with him and kind of see what it’s like to be a tour player.”

The result said plenty about the state of the Valspar Collegiate Invitational. Most college tournaments would be thrilled to get a team or two in the rankings; in addition to having the top three, Valspar had 10 in the top 25.

“The cream usually rises to the top on a course like this,” Bratton said. “It was nice for the kids to play on a course that was firm and fast, especially if they are looking to play on the next level.”

In just five years, the Valspar Collegiate Invitational has reached among the top levels in the game. Floridian owner Jim Crane opens up the golf course during the peak of the season and the field has gotten better every year.

“It’s nice to see the tournament mature and the higher-ranked teams want to get in,” said Crane, who owns the World Series champion Houston Astros. “The guys like playing here and we like to support the collegiate stuff. I think it’s nice that Valspar gives away that spot in the PGA Tour event.”

This tournament has proven to be quite a proving ground for the college studs. Former LSU standout Sam Burns, who beat Tiger Woods while finishing seventh at the Honda Classic, played in the last three Valspar Collegiate Invitationals.

“This field has become a who’s who,” said Hollis Cavner, the executive director of the Valspar Championship who helped create the collegiate event. “When I told Jim and Giles (Kibbe, Floridian’s president) what our vision was, they were all over it.”

The best college teams and players want to play in this event. This week, the best won it.